New Vitality® horse feeds optimize performance
16 April 2007
A better understanding of grains--and how they're digested--has led to a significant breakthrough in grain-based nutrition for horses and a new line of Vitality® textured horse feeds from Nutrena®.
The new Vitality® line features a new capability known as Smart Grain Technology™. This powerful new technology uses the special nutrient characteristics of different cereal grains to optimize the utilization of starches and sugars in the horse’s diet while, at the same time, helping to minimize the risk of nutritional related problems.
“Different types of grains have different nutrient profiles and characteristics that affect their rates of digestion and utilization by the horse,” says Roy Johnson, Nutrena® Technology Deployment Manager, Equine & Specialty Products. “With Smart Grain Technology™, we’re using that knowledge to deliver a superior blend of cereal grains to accommodate the horse’s unique digestive system and specific energy requirements.”
“Grains are a significant factor in the performance horse’s diet and a vital source of nutrients in the new Vitality® formulas,” explains Johnson. The new Vitality® line includes five textured products: Ultra, Mare & Foal, and Perform 10, 12 and 14. Each Vitality® product is formulated with Smart Grain Technology™ and designed to meet specific performance goals and objectives. Vitality® Ultra horse feed tops the performance formulas with 10 percent fat and a calorie-rich, extruded nugget. The other Vitality® products are formulated with six percent fat.
For the equine athlete, safety and performance need to go hand-in-hand at the highest levels possible,” according to Nutrena® Brand Manager Altair Brondani. “It’s a matter of balance. And with Smart Grain TechnologyTM, we’re managing that balance in the new Vitality® horse feeds at all-new levels for superior performance and nutritional safety.”
Cereal grains are an important source of calories in the new Vitality® formulas—along with fats from vegetable oils and digestible fiber. Cereal grains are also an important source of starches and sugars which, makes them key ingredients for both nutrition and performance. On the performance side, starches and sugars provide the glucose required to make glycogen, which is the fuel a horse needs during anaerobic exercise. Once used, the horse’s glycogen stores need to be replenished so that the horse is ready to perform the next time.
But when starches and sugars aren’t managed properly in the horse’s diet, cautioned Johnson, serious problems can arise. For example, if starch isn’t digested in the stomach and small intestine—and is fermented instead in the hindgut—gas colic and laminitis can result. And while glucose and insulin levels naturally increase in the horse’s blood after eating, a high glycemic response in horses has been associated with developmental orthopedic disease, insulin resistance, Cushing’s disease and other problems.
“There’s no substitute for knowledge when it comes to nutritional safety and performance,” says Johnson. “Being able to use that knowledge to the horse’s greatest advantage is the key. For the performance horse, simply cutting back on grains to lower starch and sugar levels in the diet isn’t always the best answer. And that’s where Smart Grain Technology™ makes the difference.”
With Smart Grain Technology™, Johnson explained, the new Vitality® formulas have been designed to deliver optimum starch, sugar and calorie levels for top performance. Those same grain-based formulas also help the performance horse to use the length of its small intestine to more effectively digest and utilize the starches and sugars they contain. The end result is an overall formula that delivers superior performance and helps minimize the risk of nutritionally related problems.
Key product features in the new Vitality® line include:
- Excellent palatability for consistent intake.
- Advanced formula design for optimum digestion and utilization of starches and sugars.
- Balanced calorie sources for enhanced energy metabolism, including starches, sugars, fats and digestible fiber.
- Superior amino acid profile for muscle maintenance and health, with guaranteed levels of lysine, threonine and methionine.
- Proper calcium-phosphorus ratio and mineral levels to support bone development and maintenance.
- Vitamin and mineral enriched with vitamin E, selenium and vitamin C for anti-oxidant benefits.
- Organic trace mineral complexes for increased bioavailability, immune system support and protein utilization.
- Added yeast culture and direct-fed microbials.
“The new Vitality® line has set a new standard for grain-based nutrition,” said Brondani. “For the horse owner and trainer looking for superior performance and an extra margin of nutritional safety, Vitality® textured horse feeds are a great choice.”
